Go green and go broke?
Let's face it: going green in the home or garden can cost a small fortune. Case in point, James Glave has spent $85,000 (Canadian dollars) -- and counting! -- to design and build an "Eco-Shed," a 280-square-foot, solar-heated writing studio which stands in his front yard. Unflinchingly, he chronicles the lengthy -- and sometimes painful -- process in his new book, Almost Green: How I Saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet. Glave likens his adventure to being trapped on a "green-building carousel." He explains, "Designers, contractors, researchers, and consultants have at various points hopped aboard, tossing me opinions and truths and tidbits of insight about materials, location, costs, and mechanical systems before leaping off with a wave and, occasionally, some of my money." While it doesn't take a team of designers to create a thriving organic garden, it can take quite a lot of money -- especially if one lacks the requisite time and patience to anticipate the garden's needs.
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